New report shows that more people are dying in King County jails

King County has seen a spike in jail deaths during the first part of this year. And that’s raising questions about conditions and staffing at the facility.

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Five people have died in King County jails this year. Three were suicides, one was an overdose, and one is still being investigated. Seattle Times reporter Sydney Brownstone said that's unusual.

"That's more deaths in custody or after being transferred from the jail to a hospital in four months this year than all of last year, for example," Brownstone told Soundside.

Brownstone said King County was averaging four deaths a year in jail between 2008 and 2018. Now they're at five not even halfway through 2022.

The jails are also seeing other huge spikes — in understaffing, and Covid cases.

"Just in terms of the vacancies that we see, there are about 85 vacancies for corrections officers this year, as opposed to 20 vacancies last year," Brownstone said. "And what we know is that understaffing at the jail can lead to delays in medical or psychiatric care, according to corrections officers themselves."

Brownstone also said the county isn't in line with a new state law, which in part requires jails to publicly report any deaths in custody.

"Every time there's an unexpected death at the jail, you have 120 days to review the possible root causes contributing factors," Brownstone said. "The law went into effect last July. And it appears that the King County jail was not even aware of the new requirements of this law until we reached out."

Questions still remain around what's caused this spike — particularly who is dying and what conditions look like at the jail.

"I think the big question that I have," Brownstone said, "is what is it about landing in the conditions of a jail cell, you know, the circumstances you've faced once you get there, that can push people to take their own lives?"